This summer vegetable pasta stir-fry includes shucking, blanching, and peeling fresh fava beans, but don’t let those steps intimidate you. None of the steps take very long. The shucking and peeling can be done as a fun family cooking activity. You can also prepare the beans the day before.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fava beans in pods
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil plus 2 tablespoons

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, stems removed and chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 8 ounces pasta such as cavatappi, penne or rotini

• 1 each medium (about 6-inches long) zucchini and summer squash, sliced into thin rounds
• 1-2 scallions, chopped
• 1 cup spinach leaves, stems removed, cut into bite-sized pieces
• ¼ teaspoon Italian herb seasoning

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 oz.  crumbled goat milk feta

Directions:

1. Shuck or shell fava beans from the pod by pulling the string at the top of the pod or sliding your finger along the pod seam.  Rinse beans in cold water.  Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add fava beans and blanch for 30 seconds.  Drain.  When cool, peel the outside skin of the fava beans.  This will yield about 1 cup of beans. Don’t worry if you have a little more or a little less. Set aside. (Note: You can do this ahead and refrigerate the beans.)
2.  Blend ½ cup of olive oil, garlic, basil and salt in a blender until smooth and well blended.  Set aside.
3. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil.  Add the pasta. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a skillet or wok.  Add zucchini, summer squash, fava beans, scallions, and Italian herb seasoning to the skillet.  Cook and stir over medium high heat for 5 minutes.  Add the spinach and cook 2-3 more minutes, just until the spinach is slightly wilted. 
5. Add the pasta and the garlic, basil, olive oil mixture to the cooked vegetables.  Stir gently until well combined.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Top with goat cheese feta.  Serve warm.

Tip: 

• If you are short on time, substitute 1 cup of fresh or frozen peas instead of the fava beans.
• Substitute cow’s milk feta or crumbled goat cheese for the goat milk feta.
• For a vegan version, either omit the cheese or use vegan cheese.
• Fava beans, also called broad beans, are an early summer legume. The beans are inside the long, sturdy, slightly fuzzy pods. (Note, the pods are not edible.) The beans have another protective inner skin that must be peeled before they are eaten. Once that protective layer is peeled off, the beans may be eaten raw, cooked or dried.